Albert Pujols Game Used and Autographed St. Louis Cardinals Items

Albert Pujols Signed and Inscribed Game Used Lineup Card from First Extra-Inning Pinch-Hit Home Run Game
In celebration of Albert Pujolss historic first ten years in Major League Baseball, the Pujols Family Foundation is pleased to announce a series of very special auctions, called the Milestones Collection. 100% of the auction proceeds will go to support the on-going work of the Pujols Family Foundation.
Each one-of-a-kind, authentic game-used auction item is signed by Albert Pujols and relates to a special career milestone. The Milestones Collection auctions will be conducted through the Pujols Family Foundation website and eBay over the course of the 2011 season.
Baseball is a game of stories. The final chapter of one such story took place September 5, 2009 when Albert Pujols, in the final days of his third MVP campaign, hit a game winning pinch-hit home run in the 10th inning against reliever Matt Capps of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The story began a month earlier, in another match-up between the Cardinals and Pirates. After Skip Schumaker hit a late-game home run off Capps, Albert Pujols stepped up to the plate and was summarily drilled in the rib cage by a 95 mph Capps fastball. Although Mr. Capps was quickly tossed from the game by the home plate umpire, the gauntlet had been thrown.
Following the contest, while Albert was quick to dismiss any talk of reprisal, a different perspective was expressed by Shumaker, who said We have our feelings about what happened and l will just leave it at that. Manager Tony La Russa echoed a similar sentiment, when he stated, It was intentional.
Fast-forward to September 5, a rare scheduled day off for Albert. With the game knotted at 1-1 in the tenth inning and Matt Capps on the mound, La Russa motioned for Albert to come off the bench and pick up a war club.
The extra-inning pinch-hit home run that followed was the first of Alberts career (and only his second pinch-hit home run overall). According to ESPN, it was also the first time in MLB history that a player with 40 or more home runs had hit an extra-inning pinch-hit home run.
The home run was Alberts 44th of the season and, amazingly, represented the 30th game winning home run of his illustrious career.
An MLB hologram (LH041486) is affixed to the lineup card. A Pujols Family Foundation Certificate of Authenticity will also accompany the item.
Before delivery to the winning bidder, the lineup card will be signed by Albert Pujols. Albert also added the inscription First extra inning pinch hit home run.